Courtesy Photo A truckload of gravel is moved into Rockport State Recreation Area. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Army National Guard have been working to improve the trails at the park and to build a shed to store equipment. The work is not related to a proposed campground, the DNR says.

ALPENA — The work being done by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Army National Guard at the Rockport State Recreation Area is not related to a proposed project that would have a campground built at the park, the DNR says.

Richard Hill, DNR Parks and Recreation Division Gaylord district supervisor, said on Thursday that the work at the park is simple trail improvements and maintenance, and that a small maintenance shed is also being built that can house equipment and possibly state employees when they are needed at the park.

The National Guard was lending the state a hand, and also training for real-life situations at the same time.

“It is not tied to the campground at all and it’s nothing more than trail improvements and a shed,” Hill said. “The shed will be used to store equipment and have a place for employees to work. We hope to have more of a presence at the park than we do now.”

The proposed campground would include 169 camping sites, a dark sky interpretive area, telescopes for looking out over Lake Huron, and a boat launch and separate kayak launch, among other amenities.

The 4,237-acre park is a dark sky preserve, meaning it’s free from light pollution and the perfect spot for stargazing.

The Michigan DNR has not yet developed a cost estimate for the project and has established no timeline for when the project would begin — if it does at all.

Hill said when the state certified Rockport as a recreation area, an action plan was established that intended to make Rockport a hub for other state parks in the area, such as Negwegon State Park and Thompson’s Harbor State Park.

However, the action plan for a campground was one of many initiatives in a development plan for Rockport, which is currently being completed.

Hill said the draft plan for the park is not finalized and could be tweaked, adopted as is, or abandoned, after public comment is reviewed and DNR supervisors review it. He said no money has been allocated to the proposed project at this time. If the proposed project does proceed, a request for budget allocation may not happen until the state’s 2026 or 2027 fiscal year after architectural design plans are drafted. Construction wouldn’t begin until after that.

Hill said there will also be meetings and an opportunity to comment about the development plan, when it is completed.

Late last year, the DNR held meetings locally that included information about the proposed campground and accepted public comment. He said the public input has been combed through and Hill said there was a significant response from the public. However, he did not share any information about how many people were for or against the proposed campground.

Hill wanted to remind people that the campground that may or may not be included in the development and management plans, is only a concept and not something that is set in stone.

He said he expects the management plan to be completed this summer and public input would be accepted on it before they are adopted.